Abstract: Described are block copolymers which have been prepared by controlled free radical polymerization. Also described is the use of said block copolymers as soil release agents in laundry processes and a process to produce said block copolymers. Further described is a method for easier releasing soil from textiles in laundry processes and a detergent containing said block copolymers.

Abstract: Compounds of the formulae: RO—X—NH2 (Ia); RO—X—NH3+Y? (Ib); RO—X—NH—Z—NH2 (IIa); and RO—X—NH—Z—NH3+Y? (IIb), in which X is an aliphatic alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; Z is an aliphatic alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; Y? is an anion; and R is an aliphatic iso C13H27? group with average branching degree ranging from 1.5 to 3.5. The compounds are particularly suitable as flotation collectors for enriching an iron mineral from a silicate-containing iron ore.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for enriching an iron mineral from a silicate containing iron ore by inverse flotation comprising the addition of a collector or collector composition comprising at least one of the compounds of formulae RC(O)N(Z—O—X-NH2)2 (Ia); RC(O)N(Z-O-X-NH2)2H+ Y? (Ib); in which X is an aliphatic alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; Z is an aliphatic alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; Y? is an anion; and R is a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, aliphatic or aromatic moiety having between 7 and 23 carbon atoms. The invention also relates to the novel compounds according to formulae (Ia) and (Ib), compositions comprising said compounds and the use of compounds and formulations as collectors for enriching of iron mineral.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for enriching an iron mineral from a silicate containing iron ore by inverse flotation comprising the addition of a collector or collector composition comprising at least one of the compounds of formulae RO—X—NH2 (Ia); RO—X—NH3+Y? (Ib); RO—X—NH—Z—NH2 (IIa); and RO—X—NH—Z—NH3+Y? (IIb), in which X is a linear or branched aliphatic alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; Z is a linear or branched aliphatic alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; Y? is an anion; and R is an aliphatic group of the formula (I) C5H11CH(C3H7)CH2— (I) wherein the C5H11 moeity of the aliphatic group of the formula (I) comprises 70 to 99% by weight n-C5H11—, and 1 to 30% by weight C2H5CH(CH3)CH2— and/or CH3CH(CH3)CH2CH2—.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing acrylamide and/or melanoidin forming cellular ingredients from starchy plant material without enabling to remove a considerable amount of starch from the cells by washing, comprising the process steps of: providing the biological material, irreversible electroporation of the biological material, and obtaining plant material having a reduced amount of acrylamide and/or melanoidin forming cellular ingredients, the starch content of which is not enabled to be considerably reduced by washing as compared to the starting material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing acrylamide and/or melanoidin forming cellular ingredients from starchy plant material without enabling to remove a considerable amount of starch from the cells by washing, comprising the process steps of: providing the biological material, irreversible electroporation of the biological material, and obtaining plant material having a reduced amount of acrylamide and/or melanoidin forming cellular ingredients, the starch content of which is not enabled to be considerably reduced by washing as compared to the starting material.

Abstract: A vertical cavity surface emitting laser system is provided including providing a epitaxially grown bottom spacer layer, an active layer on the epitaxially grown bottom spacer layer, a top spacer layer on the active layer, and etching a part of the epitaxially grown top spacer layer on a side opposite the active layer.

Abstract: In one aspect, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is operable to generate single-mode laser light at an operative wavelength. The VCSEL includes a light-emitting surface and a monolithic longitudinal stack structure. The longitudinal stack structure includes a first mirror, a second mirror, and a cavity region. The cavity region is disposed between the first mirror and the second mirror and includes an active light generation region and a cavity extension region. The longitudinal stack structure further includes an ion-implanted current confinement region. A VCSEL array incorporating the above described VCSEL and a method of making the above-described VCSEL also are described.

Abstract: Screenable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) and methods of manufacturing the same are described. These systems and methods address the unique susceptibility of these devices to damage that otherwise might be caused by moisture intrusion into the etch holes that are used to form the index-guiding confinement regions. In one aspect, a VCSEL includes a vertical stack structure having a top surface. The vertical stack structure includes a top mirror, a bottom mirror, and a cavity region that is disposed between the top mirror and the bottom mirror and includes an active light generation region. At least one of the top mirror and the bottom mirror has at least one layer defining an aperture region. The vertical stack structure defines at least one sidewall area extending from the top surface to at least a depth corresponding to the aperture region. The is VCSEL further includes a defect indicator system that is disposed in a screening region at the sidewall area.

Abstract: Splice variants of a human “TUB” antisense gene have been discovered, which overlap with human TUB and murine “tub” in antisense orientation. The overlapping portions suggest a regulatory/attenuation effect, due to RNA-RNA-interaction. These findings demonstrate that these TUB antisense constructs can regulate weight disorders, such as obesity, and progressive sensorineural degeneration phenotypes of the central nervous system. Accordingly, the invention provides therapeutic methods utilizing these constructs, as well as methods for identifying compounds that can therapeutically treat weight disorders.

Abstract: Aromatic hydrocarbons are partially oxidized in the gas phase over a catalyst at elevated temperature to form carboxylic acids or carboxylic anhydrides in a process in which a gas stream laden with the starting materials is passed through a shell-and-tube reactor whose temperature is controlled by means of one or more separate thermostatting baths conveyed in countercurrent to the starting gas stream, wherein the difference between the temperature of the thermostatting bath in the region of the reactor outlet and the temperature of the product gas stream leaving the reactor is employed to control the selectivity of the gas-phase oxidation.

Abstract: On-spec phthalic anhydride is prepared by distillative purification of crude phthalic anhydride by a process in which crude phthalic anhydride is fed to a distillation column which is operated at reduced pressure, the low boilers are removed at the top or in the vicinity of the top of the distillation column and the on-spec phthalic anhydride is removed from the column via a side take-off.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing a homogeneous mixture of a gaseous aromatic hydrocarbon and an oxygen-containing gas for catalytic gas-phase reactions, in particular a homogeneous mixture of gaseous o-xylene and/or naphthalene and air for preparing phthalic anhydride, are provided. The liquid aromatic hydrocarbon is atomized to form droplets having a diameter of less than 1 mm and injected into an oxygen-containing gas stream (12) preheated to above the boiling point of the aromatic hydrocarbon. According to the invention, the liquid aromatic hydrocarbon is atomized by means of nozzles (15) which form a hollow cone (16), preferably by means of swirl nozzles. The o-xylene/air mixture is advantageously produced in a chamber which is bounded by side walls (18) heated to above the boiling point of the hydrocarbon.

Abstract: In a process for preparing phthalic anhydride by catalytic gas-phase oxidation of o-xylene or naphthalene or o-xylene/naphthalene mixtures with a gas comprising molecular oxygen over a coated catalyst comprising an inert, nonporous support material on which a catalytically active composition comprising titanium dioxide and vanadium pentoxide is applied in layer form, a catalyst whose catalytically active composition comprises from 3 to 6% by weight of vanadium pentoxide, calculated as V2O5, from 0.3 to 0.5% by weight of a cesium compound, calculated as Cs, and the remainder to 100% by weight of titanium dioxide in the anatase modification is used in the presence or absence of a coated catalyst, differing therefrom, for the catalytic gas-phase oxidation of o-xylene or naphthalene or o-xylene/naphthalene mixtures and, in the presence of such a second catalyst, the latter is used in a combined bed with the catalyst of the above composition in the reactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing gas-phase catalysts gas-phase oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons into carboxylic acids and/or carboxylic acid anhydrides upon whose carrier material a coating containing catalytically active metal oxide is applied in the form of a shell, wherein a powder is initially produced from a solution and/or suspension of catalytically active metal oxides and the precursor compounds thereof or simply the precursor compounds in the presence or absence of auxiliary agents in order to produce the catalyst. Said powder is then applied, in the form of a shell, to the carrier in the presence or absence of auxiliary agents after or without previous conditioning and without previous thermal treatment to produce the catalyst. The carrier which is thus coated undergoes thermal treatment in order to produce catalytically active metal oxides.

Abstract: A device for straightening a spinal column having a succession of vertebrae extending along a nonstraight line lying generally in a plane has an elongated bar lying generally in the plane of the line and having a pair of relatively longitudinally displaceable bar parts in turn having respective bar ends. A pair of connectors of the bar ends are secured to respective vertebrae of the succession. Respective pivots between the connectors and the respective ends define therebetween respective generally parallel axes transverse to the plane. A main abutment movable along and flexible on one of the parts and longitudinally engageable with the other of the parts serves for limiting relative longitudinal displacement of the parts toward each other. Thus the main abutment can be moved along the one part to increase the spacing between the ends and thereby can straighten the succession of vertebrae between the connectors.

Abstract: A hip-joint prosthesis has a ball head shaped to fit in an acetabulum, an elongated shaft adapted to fit in and between two opposite sides of a medullary cavity of a femur, and a stem between and connecting the head to one end of the shaft. This shaft is curved in a plane and has a concave longitudinal edge and a convex longitudinal edge. A laterally projecting shoulder between the stem and the shank is engageable against a sawed-off end of a femur in whose medullary cavity the shaft is engaged. The shaft is formed on its concave edge at its two ends with inner and outer engagement surfaces of planar shape. Between these engagement surfaces on the convex side there is formed an intermediate engagement surface. When mounted in a femur the inner and outer engagement surfaces engage against one side of the medullary cavity and the intermediate engagement surface against the other for firm mounting of the shaft in the femur.

Abstract: A hydraulic braking system is provided for automatically apportioning braking of the wheels of a vehicle in accordance with the load on respective wheels. A plurality of brake control assemblies each dedicated to one of the wheels of the vehicle are coupled to produce braking of the corresponding wheel upon activation of the brake pedal. The degree of actuation of each brake control assembly is controlled by an element which senses load differences between all wheels on the vehicle (including load differences between wheels on either side of the vehicle and between front and rear wheels), and adjusts the degree of actuation of the corresponding brake control assembly accordingly. In an illustrative embodiment each brake control assembly includes a brake control cylinder having a piston movably disposed therein. The pistons are coupled to the brake pedal so as to be maximally advanced into the brake control cylinder when a maximum brake force is applied.

Abstract: A hydraulic power transmission and braking system for vehicles in which individual hydraulic wheel motors are connected through suitable control apparatus to a variable displacement hydraulic pump which is driven by an appropriate power source. The displacement of the pump varies automatically in response to hydraulic fluid pressure and flow rate requirements imposed by the vehicle operating conditions. The power transmission control apparatus automatically switches from the 4-wheel drive mode to the 2-wheel drive mode as the vehicle accelerates past a predetermined speed. The braking control system proportions the braking force applied to each of the hydraulic wheel motors in accordance with the load imposed on that wheel by the vehicle operating conditions.